Not Really a Hero
by For A Key
Summary: Secret Santa for pani zagloba: Miles wakes up in the middle of the jungle next to a dead woman. How did he get here?


**Author's Notes:** For you pani zagloba, I did a Miles AU and a Miles in Dharmatimes! I'm sorry this is so late, but I must have written three different drafts before I said 'frak it' and settled for this.

And when there's a . . , it's a switch between Miles's present time to flashbacks. I hope it won't get too confusing.

And you should know that this story drove me crazy. Really crazy. I barely slept or ate at all as I wrote this.

Have a great new year!

. .

**Not Really a Hero**

**. . **

"_You shouldn't worry." _

Miles woke up to rain, wet stones and the fresh mind of a dead person's last thoughts. He pushed it away, but it was strong, loud and it took over all of his other senses until he had to listen to it. Had to hear those small last thoughts. But it was so much more than that.

Panic. She didn't want to be there, she thought of a little boy, red hair and freckles, she thought of how scared she was, she saw the world in a blur and she was about to shout something – to him, to Miles but then there was only a sharp pain in her back and then nothing more.

It echoed inside of his head. _No. I'm not supposed to be here. I don't want to die. No. Please. No._ But it faded and he could see clear again, the image of the forest around him – but brighter and sunny as it was when the woman died disappeared and he saw it as it was now. Small drops of rain falling on him and he heard the sound of water rushing past him, he turned around, felt pain in his back and saw a creek just by the trees. And by it, with a hand in the water – the woman laid.

Susanna Jane.That was her name. She had a son. She died from… He didn't really know.

Miles struggled up to his feet. His back ached and he gritted his teeth, he stumbled forward over the slippery stones over to her side. Her hair was red, and just like the boy she thought of in her dying moment, her face was full of freckles.

"How did you die?" he asked and then he saw it. The blood has gone dark, and when he rolled her over he saw three spots of blood where she had been shot. He grimaced, and winced when he felt the pain in his back again. He touched it with his fingers and they got wet – wet with blood.

He stared up at the sky, seen between the branches. Confusion filled his mind and he said with a whisper, "What the hell happened?"

. .

Miles had felt that usual weird twist in his chest when he saw his mother walk across the grass into her house. He quickly looked away, hated how it affected him. He just had to get over the fact that his mother had lied to him about his entire past.

"Miles!" Juliet smiled; in her arms she held a file. "Good, you haven't left yet."

"What gave you the first clue?" Miles said and tried to smile, but it didn't work so well.

"Here," she said and handed him the file. "James wanted me to give this to you, Jin has taken another shift and he wants you to cover this area instead."

Miles opened it. "Why did he send you?"

Juliet looked at him calmly, her eyes like ice. "Oh, he's busy."

"Okay," Miles said. "See you later." He shut the file closed and took a few steps before he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned around, Juliet stood close to him.

"You shouldn't worry," she said.

"About what?"

She cocked her head to the side, to the house were his mom had just gone into. "About her. You worry a lot. But you really shouldn't. Whatever happened happened right?"

Miles raised an eyebrow. "Right…"

Juliet gave him one last smile before she left. That chick was weird, she had her good moments and then there were these moments when she looked at you like she knew what you were thinking, creepy.

He checked to see if his rifle had bullets, took the key and fought over Phil over the last van left. He won. Smiling in glee he was just about to turn the key when someone knocked on the window.

"Hey! Hey, Miles, wait!"

Miles rolled down the window. "Hey, Horace what's the matter?"

Horace ran his fingers through his hair. "You've seen Jin around?"

"No… no I haven't seen him this morning."

Horace sighed frustrated. "Okay, if you see him let me know all right?"

"Yeah, yeah sure…"

Horace left quickly; Miles frowned but decided not to think much of it when he started the car.

As usual, it was just another normal day in Dharmaville.

. .

_Just another normal day in Dharmaville._

Miles pulled the top of his Dharma jumpsuit off and grimaced again as he saw that his t. shirt underneath was covered with blood stains. "Damn," he swore. He wondered how bad it was, but it wasn't like he had a mirror to check.

He looked at the dead woman again, she hadn't been in security, and on her jumpsuit it said 'chef'. He felt a small twitch of panic, but pushed it away, he couldn't panic. He had to force himself not to. But there were many reasons to why he should be freaking out. For starters there was a dead person next to him, he had no idea how he'd gotten there, and he could be freaking dying for all he knew…

"Okay, Miles." And he had started to talk to himself. _Brilliant._ "You gotta get out of here."

That was a start. He considered drinking from the creek, but he wasn't that desperate yet. He glanced at the body again, he should check if she had anything useful on her. But she had been a chef, what kind of weapon would a chef have?

"You have to." He told himself. He winced. He'd gotten his head for a reason, to think. There was no need to turn into Chuck Noland. He decided to search his own pockets first; all he found was a note. And its message was cryptic:

_14. J  
Computer: Enter 77  
Time travel sucks._

That didn't help the whole confusing situation.

All Susanna had in her pockets was a list of food, and a pen. Nothing more. When he got back he would pester Horace until everyone had a gun with them at all times, in case they got lost in the jungle and their partner died and they needed a weapon.

. .

He'd decided to take a lunch break; the clock was close to twelve after all. He was leaning against the blue van, eating a sandwich he wasn't a hundred percent cure was healthy – but he was hungry.

"_Miles! Are you there?"_ The voice came from the radio.

"Yeah? I mean, Miles here."

"_It's Horace. Look, where are you?"_

"I'm in grid 334 –"

He could hear Horace's frustration from the other line. _"Miles, damn it. That's Hostile territory!" _

"No, no Jim gave the orders to me – Well, Juliet did but –"

"_Miles, listen to me. You have to get out of there now. There's a 14. J here and… a casualty. We need you."_

Miles inhaled sharply. "A casualty? Yeah, yeah I'll come back –"

_Bang!_

Miles ducked. "Freaking –"

"_Miles, are you there? Miles!" _The radio silenced as it fell out of his hand and he stepped on it when he tried to get away from the gunshots. He jumped into the van, turned the key and the window in front of him scattered over his face as a bullet pierced it.

Trickles of blood ran down to his mouth, a metallic taste. He ducked underneath the seat, grabbed the rifle. He saw someone in the forest, tried to point the weapon towards his attacker, it was an awkward angle but he managed to fire once – not that it did much good when another bullet pierced another of the windows, sending shattered glass all over him.

He remembered Dan's words: They could all die.

He just really, really didn't want to.

He pressed the pedal and apparently one of the attackers had been very close to the van as he heard a scream and a thud. Several more gunshots rang through the air. He tried to keep control of the steering wheel. But small drops of blood kept coming into his eyes and there were trees _everywhere._

He swore, turned the wheel and managed to avoid a huge rock. He looked around for a radio, anything to contact Dharma with but there was none. He kept driving, if this was the Hostiles – he knew there were more. But why would they break the truce? Horace had said there was a 14. J…

. .

_14. J. _

He had fled from them. He remembered now. That explained how he ended up in the jungle. But not how Susanna Jane had ended up dead beside him.

Well, one thing was clear. He had to get back to the Barracks.

Miles stood up, tried to ignore the pain in his back and looked around.

"Uh…" He turned to the dead body. "I don't suppose you know the right direction?"

The dead body didn't respond. Well, it did. But only in the last thoughts it'd had before death. And that wasn't really much of a help.

Miles sighed and gazed at the sky. The rain was falling easier and he even saw a glimpse of the sun behind the clouds.

He decided to walk along the creek and see where it took him, water was usually good right?

. .

Miles got soaking wet as soon as he stepped out of the van. He'd barely been able to see anything because of the rain and stupidly crashed into a tree, the van refused to start again and he would be forced to walk all the way back. But at least the Hostiles weren't chasing him anymore.

It didn't stop him from getting mad though. He kicked one of the wheels and swore, took his rifle and a water bottle and walked slightly on the side of the road, half hidden by the trees just in case.

He hoped he was out of their territory, he really hoped so. He wasn't used to be in this area of the jungle. And the sky was getting darker and darker. He wasn't afraid of the dark. It was stupid to be, what hurt you in the dark could just as well could hurt you in the light. But when it was night at least you would have the advantage of hiding better.

As he stumbled over the ground, between the trees he thought of the file, Juliet's words and Horace's worry. Why would Jim send him out here? Could it have been a mistake? But it was Jim LaFleur… head of security. He didn't make mistakes like these.

And the 14. J, first he'd thought it was one Hostile but now… What if it was an invasion? Suddenly an image appeared in his mind of the Dharma people and the Hostiles meeting in the middle of a field, torches and swords and all. He chuckled to himself. No, the Dharma guys were all for to offer hugs and cookies than start a war.

And then the casualty. He felt that weird knot in his throat at the thought. Worry. He didn't even know he cared that much about the hippies. He didn't really, but he had gotten somewhat used to the whole 'save the world' thing and… well, he wasn't exactly overjoyed when someone died. And then there was the deal about the meat – bodies they left behind that did nothing more but bother him.

He halted when he heard the voices. The rain was loud, and he knew he was really close because the people talking were doing it in hushed voices. He saw a glimpse of light and realized that one of them has a flashlight.

Miles slowly bent down to the ground and wondered what he should do. He had the rifle safe in his hands, but maybe he could get away without alerting their attention –

"Up on your feet." A woman's voice said from behind.

"Aren't you supposed to say please?" He felt the gun press into his back harder. "All right, all right."

He slowly got up on his feet.

"Drop the rifle."

Miles swung around and the woman didn't shoot; now the both of them were pointing their weapons at each other. "Not without that please, sweetheart," he said.

The woman crinkled her nose. "Miles?"

She was wearing a Dharma jumpsuit and her red hair was plastered against her head. He didn't recognize her. "How do you know my name?"

"It says so on your jumpsuit, I know who you are – I've seen you around."

"Susanna?" Someone cocked a gun behind him, and heard the steps of people running towards them. "Drop your rifle!"

Susanna lowered her own gun. "No, Terry it's all right, he's in security, look at his nametag –"

Miles still held the rifle pointed at the woman, but he turned his head around and saw an angry looking man at his side. He wore casual clothes and his hair was held back in a ponytail, he looked quite ridiculous with the gun in his hand, it didn't fit him. "He could be one of them!" the man shouted over the rain.

"No! Stop!" That was a voice he recognized. "It's Miles." Her hair was flat because of the rain, one of her eyes bruised and her jacked ripped, but it was still Amy. She came up behind the man and Miles finally put down his weapon.

"Ames…" he said, happy to see her but confused by the situation. Amy rushed over to him and hugged him. He stumbled back, surprised by her sudden affection for him.

"Oh, Miles, are there anymore with you?" Amy still held him.

He freed himself from her grip. "No, I was attacked – Amy, what the hell is going on? Horace contacted me about code 14. J and… what the heck are you doing out here?"

. .

The jungle was so freaking big.

He still had no clue where he was, and with every step he took he got the feeling he got further away from the Barracks. Where were the people he had been with? Amy, Terry… and Susanna.

He knew where Susanna was, dead by the water. Did that mean that the rest… Whatever happened, happened. That thought gave him no comfort now, as he didn't know if Amy had been alive in the future.

The rain had stopped falling, and small rays of sunshine managed to get through the branches of the trees. It was getting hotter around him, and he knew that sometimes the heat could get unbearable and that would make it even harder to trek thought the jungle.

If he could just find something, a landmark, something that could tell him where he was, trigger more memories. But most of all he wanted to find a gun, or at least some kind of weapon, they had their uses. And he would really feel a lot more secure about wandering around in the middle of nowhere if he at least had a gun.

Miles stopped and stared. "No way." He picked up his pace until he was running out of the trees, out to the flat ground, black soot covered the ground – the smell of smoke was still in the air and before him laid the ruins of the Flame station.

And proof that whatever happened, didn't happen.

. .

A flashlight was far safer than a fire, and the rain was still pouring over them and Miles doubted that even if they wanted to, they wouldn't manage to get a fire starting.

As Susanna put the flashlight in the middle of the ring they'd made, Miles resisted from taking it and putting it beneath his jaw, saying 'boo'.

Terry was still watching him with narrow eyes, but he had put his gun down on the ground beside him, Susanna just seemed happy they'd met someone else and Amy was looking at him like she expected him to somehow clear up this mess, save them all.

But before he would do any saving, he had to figure out what the hell had happened.

"I was out doing a round, orders from LaFleur," he said to them, his voice hoarse despite that he'd drunken much water. "Then Horace contacts me through the radio, says I have to get back and that I have to get out of the grid I'm in, he says I'm in Hostile territory. And before I know it, I'm getting shot at."

"Why would Jim send you to Hostile territory?" Susanna asked. Even she knew who Jim was, when no one knew Miles, sometimes they referred him as that Asian looking guy, a survivor from that ship wreckage or as the Asian hanging around LaFleur.

Miles shrugged. "I have no idea…" He frowned. "There is a possibility it wasn't Jim at all."

"You said it was," Terry spat and Miles glared at him.

"Yes… but it was Juliet who gave me the file, said Jim told her to give it to me."

Amy looked uncomfortable and closed her hands in her lap. "Are you saying that Juliet…"

"I. I don't know." It was honest, he didn't know. He knew Juliet had been one of the Hostiles sometime in the future, but she wouldn't – she was one of them now, she had never even thought about joining them. "But you gotta explain to me, what the hell happened? Why are you here? I get there was something going on back at the Barracks."

"The Hostiles attacked," Susanna said solemnly.

Miles snorted. "I got that much."

"Miles…" Amy gave him a grave look. "They didn't just attack – they broke the truce, for real."

Miles wanted to repeat what he'd said. But Amy just looked sadder and sadder.

"I was over at Juliet and Jim's house… we were talking when they just barged in and… and…" Amy swallowed and tears welled up in her eyes. Thousands of thoughts filled his mind, thousands of different scenarios to what could've happened. "They grabbed Juliet and… they shot Jim."

Miles felt all the blood rush from his face, he was glad it was dark as he looked away. "They killed him?"

"No, no… They shot him but not to kill him, to wound him enough to make it easier to take him. Juliet, she freed herself and she told me to run so I ran, and… that's how I escaped. Because of Juliet, she saved me. I heard a gunshot… I'm afraid they…" Amy buried her face in her hands.

"Anyway," Susanna interrupted when she saw how overcome by emotions Amy got, "they didn't kill all of us. I saw them drag some of the people away."

Miles tried to keep his voice steady and swallowed several times before he said, "How did they do it? How could they get over the sonar fence?"

"They infiltrated us," Terry said quickly. He was still watching Miles with suspicion. "I was just gonna ask one of the workmen to clean up a mess in the cafeteria when he suddenly lashed out at me and I lost consciousness."

Susanna nodded. "I saw one of them wear my husband's jumpsuit, his nametag was on it."

Miles nodded slowly to himself. "So they planned this. Wait… Susanna, did you see your husband that morning?"

Susanna shook her head. "No, but he stayed at the Hydra island, I was just thinking he was late…"

"Jin was missing," Miles turned to Amy, "But even if they infiltrated us… it wouldn't be enough people to overtake the entire –"

"Yes, there would be," Susanna said. "They took down the fence remember? And then they all came barging in."

"But…" Miles looked at her with confusion, it didn't make any sense, "why would they kill some of us and take others?"

"I... I don't know." Amy looked down.

"We have to go back," Miles said.

"What?" Terry snapped.

"I said we have to go back."

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow. "You wanna go back huh? Well there is no going back! The Hostiles have the Barracks under their control now, hell; since Sue's husband got kidnapped I think they got control of Pala Ferry and the Hydra Island too! It's their terms now, we're on their land. There is no going back."

Miles stood up, his eyes blazing with fury. "So what? We're gonna hide here in the jungle? We have to see, we have to try to take control again okay? Our friends – family, might still be at the Barracks, the prisoners might be held there –"

"_Might," _Terry echoed.

"We have to make sure . I think that's reason enough."

"No – stop it." Amy's face was streaked with tears but she wasn't crying anymore. "I want to go back, I really do. But we have to find more resources, more of our people."

"And how do we do that if we don't go back?" Susanna asked.

Amy curled her lips up in a weak smile. "We go to the stations; the Flame is closest to here. Is that a plan we can all agree on?" She looked directly at Terry.

"Fine," Miles and Terry responded in unison.

. .

He remembered Juliet telling him about the Flame, once when she accompanied him out there to talk to Radzinsky, she'd said that in the future – a ridiculous but normal phrase in their conversations – that the Flame was blown up by Locke, and that he had saved some of the explosives to burn up the submarine and thus letting the only thing that could've gotten them off the island succumb into flames.

That wasn't supposed to happen yet, not now, not in many, many years.

But yet it had.

The fence that had kept the cows and whatever other animals they liked to keep there was burned to stubs. All that was left of the station were parts of the brick foundation, and what looked like the rests of the satellite dish. Miles walked slowly across the place, watched every stone and every brick intently, like he couldn't believe it and had to make sure, absolutely sure before he freaked out.

_Miles! Terry! ANYONE! Please help me. I'm stuck – Juliet? Anyone... what's that noise? Oh god, please let me out. Is that fire? Horace where are you? Is he dead? It hurts. No. PLEASE! Someone come!_

Miles jumped on the spot, spun around and realized that somewhere underneath his feet someone had died. He quickly took a few steps back, but he had already heard enough. Amy's last dying thoughts were repeated inside his mind, her fear – her chaos now inside of him. She'd burned up, it had been quick, but till slow enough for her to realize that she was going to die.

He suddenly felt sick. He didn't get sick when dealing with the dead – he was used to it, hell, it was how he made a living before. But Amy… he'd known her, sort of.

Still, when he sat down on a stone by the ruins and stared at it somberly he didn't shout, didn't show any shock. He just had a flat expression on his face as he sighed.

So that was it. Thing could change. Dan was wrong. But instead of changing something of importance, like the fate of Dharma, instead of being able to warn anyone he was stuck out here and it was possible that everyone he knew – Jin, LaFleur, Juliet and everyone else were dead. And the fact that they would've been able to change it…

He refused to show weakness, even though there was no one around to see it if he would. He stood up and searched the ruins again for anything useful, but he doubted he would find anything.

Something glinted beneath a red shaded stone. He tossed it aside and took the item in his hand. It was silver, a necklace with a small heart. He curled his fingers around it and swallowed. He'd seen that necklace before.

. .

"I was cooking when they attacked," Susanna said as an explanation when she gave Miles canned fish.

Miles watched the can suspiciously. Who the hell would put fish into a can? "No thanks, I'm not that hungry yet."

Susanna shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Amy looked over her shoulder at them. "We are close."

"How do you know so much about the stations?" Terry trailed after her, holding the gun in the air, ready for an attack. Miles was surprised someone from the motor pool knew how to handle the weapon so well. But as he thought about it – the only one he knew from the motor pool was Juliet, and she could fire a gun way better than most of the security staff. So maybe all the motor pool workers were actually trained ninja assassins.

Not that it mattered now, when according to Amy they were all probably dead or kidnapped.

Amy smirked a smirk that would've made the old Jim proud. "I know about them because unlike you, Terry, I have been here for more than two weeks."

So Terry wasn't only a motor pool worker who was used to guns, he had also only just arrived.

"Here we are…" Amy pulled away a branch and Miles saw it. The Flame station, the sickening green color had never been more beautiful.

Terry turned to them and said, "Have your weapons ready." His eyes were even narrower now and Susanna, looked a bit nervous as she raised her own gun.

Amy walked in the front, excited and hopeful, and as Miles looked at Susanna and Terry – he saw it too. Behind the fear and the shock they were excited, this adventure – it was new to them and somehow still surreal. All he could feel was an endless stream of different emotions, and none of them were anything positive. Anger. Confusion. Fear. Distrust.

The door flew open and out came a very familiar face. Blonde hair that slightly curled up at the end and eyes that were like ice – Juliet stopped, crossed her arms and her smile didn't quite reach her eyes when she studied them.

"Hello again," she said. And Miles saw that around her neck a necklace hung, silver, with a little heart on it.

. .

_Enter 77._

It said so on the note. But what did it mean? He had a feeling it had something to do with the Flame, and it being in ruins. He still held Juliet's necklace in one hand but he wished it was a weapon. And then the last line on the note, _Time Travel sucks._ An inside joke between he, Jin, Jim and Juliet.

It had been stupid to be distracted from his path down the creek. Miles's throat ached with thirst and the sun seemed to shine stronger and stronger as he made his way through the jungle. It should be easy to get to the Barracks from the Flame, but with what he now remembered – was it safe? What would he actually find?

There were many questions. But he had to find out for sure and going back – now that was the only option. _Or,_ he thought as he leaned, panting against a tree, _I could just stay here._

The tree was kind of comfortable. And he could make up shelter, grow a beard, live all alone out in the jungle – all he needed was a volleyball really to have the perfect life.

He chuckled to himself. Got to his feet and started to wander again, he kept close to the normal path he used to take when going to the Flame, but his head was dizzy and he found himself strolling away from the road several times.

He had to keep focus. Just another step. It wasn't far away now. Just one more step. One more step. Hell, when was the rain when he needed it?

. .

"It has stopped raining." Juliet closed the curtains and turned to them. Miles was sitting on the sofa, Amy next to him, Susanna was sitting in an armchair and Terry was still standing, close to the door.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Amy said and her eyes practically shone with happiness when she looked at Juliet. "But… how?"

"I escaped," Juliet said flatly and sat down in a chair. "They knocked out both me and James, I woke up and they were carrying us through the jungle. I don't think I was supposed to wake up, they were surprised when I took one of the carrier's guns and shot three of them before I fled."

"You fled?" Miles narrowed his eyes. "How about James?"

Juliet looked away. "He was wounded."

"Well… how about everyone else?" Susanna said frustrated. "Have you seen anymore of the –"

"Kidnapped ones? No, I haven't. I got here – I was just here to raid it. I'm not sure it's really safe to stick around if the Hostiles have gained control of the Barracks. I don't think it's safe anywhere."

"That's right." Terry took a step closer to them. "We will have more time to talk later, right now we got to take what we need and get out of here."

Juliet nodded. "Gather things up, Susanna – can you come with me and get the backpacks?"

"I can stay and guard by the window," Terry said. "See if any of those bastards show up."

"No – Amy can do that right?" Miles stared at Amy who looked a bit confused.

"Oh – yeah…. if you're sure."

"A hundred percent." Miles gave her an assuring smile. "Come on Terry."

Miles saw Juliet watch them as they went into the kitchen. Terry immediately started to take things out of the cupboards but Miles grabbed his arm.

"What –"

Miles hushed him and looked around. "Juliet is one of them."

"What?" Terry whispered. "How do you know?"

"I know she's lying – I just know okay? It makes sense. I don't know why – but the whole thing where she gave me the wrong file? Managing to escape from the Hostiles and… and leaving Jim behind – that's not the Juliet I know."

"You mean they're making her do their will – against her will? Blackmailing?"

"It doesn't matter why." Miles was already too occupied getting over the fact that one of his closest friends was possibly working for the Hostiles and to start making up more theories was too tiring. "But we have to get out of here – and find whoever is here with her."

"Another one?"

"You don't think they're gonna let her wander off on her own do you?"

Terry showed off his yellow teeth in a grin. "Never did," he said and cocked his gun.

"Hey, Miles!" he heard Juliet shout from the other room. "Can you check the yellow cupboard? I think I saw some Dharma water bottles there."

"Yeah, of course." Miles opened the cupboard. The way Terry was pointing the gun showed he was expecting something to pop out from there. Miles almost chuckled to himself, the guy was tense.

There was no monster inside, only a single note, which said:

_14. J  
Computer: Enter 77  
Time travel sucks. _

"What the hell does that mean?" Terry whispered sharply.

"It means," Miles said more calmly than he felt, "that the Hostiles are here in this station, that they're watching us and that Juliet is lying – but she's on our side."

. .

Miles sighed and smiled weakly when he saw a big leaf that still had some water in it from the rain and he drank from it. Yes, he was now desperate enough.

He picked up his pace when he saw the sun lower itself on the sky; it would be harder to follow the road in the dark. He glanced at it through the trees and stopped immediately. There, he saw the startling blue color of a Dharma van.

He approached it slowly. He couldn't see anyone sitting inside and as he got closer he saw numerous bullet holes in the van's interior, and the back window's glass was shattered. Clearly the good old van had been in a real fight.

Miles knew it was a long shot, but he still seated himself in the driver's seat and to his surprise the key was still in. It got even more curious that when he turned it, the van started. He didn't start to drive, because the whole thing was just so weird. Maybe the world was finally on his side. But… that would actually be a first time.

He was just about to pat himself on the back for this success when a shot rang out and he automatically ducked.

"GET OUT OF THE VAN NOW! HANDS UP!"

Hey, that phrase felt familiar Miles thought. He crawled out of the van and got to his feet. Staring at the guy who had a gun pointed at his head.

"Jin?"

Jin's eyes widened and he lowered his gun slowly, staring at him in surprise. "Miles?"

Miles grinned. "You said 'hands up', guess those English lessons I gave you finally paid off huh?"

. .

Miles wasn't an expert on the station. It was all Radzinsky's fault, man that guy was creepy. So Miles tried to keep the distance from him and the Flame as big as possible. So he didn't exactly know where the Hostiles could be hiding.

He expected the Hostiles to come out in any second. Like they were hiding behind every door and in every dark corner. He watched Juliet talk in a low voice to Susanna. Her blonde hair falling in her face and she with a smile pulled it back. This was his friend. And now for some reason the Hostiles had her in their grip, but she was still brave – and was trying to help them.

Terry was watching the roof, probably searching after cameras, any devices that were used to keep them under watch. But why? What was the reason for getting Juliet all the way out here, to get them here? Why didn't they just kill or kidnap them and have it done with?

"Are we ready?" Juliet stood on the rug, her eyes looking intently into Miles's. She was showing no emotions, just cold like when she shot that Hostile when they first arrived in this time. But there was something – something in the way she was staring at him.

Juliet looked down and then up at him again, and somehow Miles knew exactly what she meant.

"There?" he asked her.

Juliet nodded, finally showing emotion as she smiled sadly. "Yes."

"What… what's there?" Amy looked at them bewildered as Miles nodded to Terry who held his weapon ready.

"Pull the rug away Amy," Miles simply said.

Amy looked at Juliet worriedly, but bent down to the floor and more gently than necessary she lifted the rug and underneath it, a hatch door lay. Without a word she opened it, revealing a ladder leading down.

"Ladies first," Miles said, sending a smile Susanna's way. She shook her head, her eyes wide and frightened and instead Terry (with a grunt) climbed down the ladder.

Juliet stared at Susanna until she followed, holding nervously onto her gun and staring up at them until the last red curl was gone.

"I… I want to stay up here." Amy looked at Juliet pleading and then turned to Miles.

Miles looked at Juliet who shook her head.

"No, come on Ames." Amy glared at him but also went into the hatch, Miles following her. He heard Susanna and Terry hiss at each other from underneath but he looked up and saw Juliet stare down at him.

"Are you coming?" he asked her.

The smile was gone from her face. Juliet just stared at him sadly and said, "No, I'm sorry Miles." before she closed the hatch door with a bang.

. .

"Don't drink it all!" Jin said but his tone was warm.

"Sorry man, but I'm just so damn thirsty." Miles gave him the water bottle. "You can't believe what I've been through."

Jin pursed his lips. "Try me," he said in a very Jim. like tone.

Miles smiled, happy that he had finally met someone. "No, you tell me what happened to you first."

Jin sighed deeply and looked away at the distant rocks that could be seen through the trees. "The Hostiles attacked."

"I _know._"

"Yes. But I wasn't there. I was doing a nightly round at the sonar fence when the Hostiles came and took me, I was surprised – I thought they were here to talk to Horace so I… I let them in Miles."

"What? Jin, I know you're better at English but… did you just say you let them in?"

Jin sighed again, but in frustration. "Yes, it was a mistake. They took control of the van and pulled a needle into my arm. I passed out. They brought me to the Tempest."

"The Tempest?" Miles repeated. "Why the hell would they take you there?"

Jin shook his head slowly. "Not only me. Everyone. More and more they brought there. And they brought Jim there too."

"LaFleur? I heard, um, remember he got shot –"

"He was alive when I saw him," Jin said quickly. "I was not supposed to wake up so early, they hadn't tied me up. I escaped very easily; I don't think they noticed that I was not there at all. I have traveled through the jungle and I got back to the Barracks. But the Hostiles are everywhere."

Miles thought about what he remembered, and Susanna with three bullets in her back. He looked up at the trees, almost expected to see the Hostiles up in them, holding guns pointed at their hearts. "But if you got back to the Barracks, what are you doing out here?"

"They have taken control of it. I left for the jungle again to find a person, anyone. And now I have found you Miles, we have to get to the Tempest; we have to rescue our people."

"Whoa, Jin… rescue them?"

Jin frowned. "What is the problem?"

"What is the problem? Jin… we can't just rescue them! The Hostiles are everywhere as you said! What could we be able to do? Just the two of us?"

"We could save them all!"

. .

"What the hell?" JULIET!" Miles yelled and tried to open the door, but it was closed from the outside.

"Why did she lock us in?" Amy asked in a high. pitched tone.

"She was working for the Hostiles," Terry said darkly.

"What? No, not Juliet." Amy sounded slightly hysterical.

Miles still had the note in his pocket. But what the hell did it mean now? "OPEN! Juliet! OPEN THE DOOR!"

"I would stop screaming if I were you," said a voice in the dark. A faint light was turned on. Miles almost fell of the ladder as he turned around.

There was one woman standing beside a couple of boxes by the dirty wall. She had black hair and her clothes were clearly the Hostiles' usual attire and the smirk even more so.

"Would you like to drop your guns on the floor?" she asked with an airy voice.

"I don't think so," Terry spat and pointed his gun at her, ready to fire any second.

The woman's eyes shone and from the shadows two men and another woman stepped forward. All three of them bearing rifles in their arms. "I insist."

Terry glanced at Miles and Miles shrugged before he let his rifle fall on the ground. He would like to stay alive. Rather kidnapped than dead. Huh, that was a weird choice. And he bet there were more Hostiles hiding in the shadows.

"You too," the woman said directed to Susanna. Susanna immediately at her words dropped her weapon.

Terry was slower though, he was gritting his teeth in anger and was scowling at both Miles and the woman. "You drop yours first," he said.

"I don't think so," the woman said in a taunting tone.

Terry reached for the trigger but one of the men was faster, firing his gun in a straight line into Terry's head.

Someone screamed. Miles ducked to the ground, grabbed his rifle and fired point. blank at the Hostiles' direction. A bullet flew over his head.

"RUN!" he yelled, but there was nowhere to run to. Another bullet was fired his way but he saw Susanna grab her gun and she shot the black. haired woman. The body falling to the ground and her last thoughts penetrating Miles's mind just like Terry's were.

And suddenly, when he heard hers, he knew exactly where they could flee.

"Follow me!" he shouted but he was not able to take more than one step before one of the men pushed him into the wall, his head banging against it. He yelled out in pain but lashed out with the rifle, hitting the man's eye.

"Come!" he shouted again, running into the shadows, a dim, eerie red light being the only thing lightning up their path. He saw Susanna running after him, shocked that there was a tunnel hiding in the dark.

Miles didn't see anyone else follow them. "Where's Amy?"

"I don't know!" Susanna turned around, but there was no one there.

Miles swallowed. "We have to continue," he said. Running faster, and leaving their friend behind.

. .

"_I insist." _

In the end, Miles did as Jin said – because after all, Jin was the one with the weapons and the water. He'd told Jin everything he remembered, and Jin listened intently. But when Miles came to the part about Juliet – Juliet locking them in with the Hostiles, giving them the weird note and sending Miles out in the Hostile's territory Miles saw denial and disbelief in his expression, and it was clear that Jin would never think that Juliet had betrayed them.

And then there was the whole 'whatever happened, didn't happen' thing.

"But Daniel said –"

"I know what Daniel said," Miles said in an irritated tone. "But clearly Daniel was wrong, the Dharma wasn't supposed to end this way but now it has."

Jin looked out at the ocean, probably thinking some sappy thoughts about his wife or something. "We need to save Jim; he will know what to do."

"Of course," Miles said, with a hint of sarcasm, "James LaFleur will save us all." He wondered if Jim would be able to cure his back with his thoughts. Jin hadn't been able to do much and the pain was killing him.

"He will," Jin insisted. "He will have a plan."

Amy had a plan. That didn't stop her from ending up dead in the ruins of the Flame station. When had it exploded? Hours after he and Susanna had left? Minutes? He didn't know.

Jin stood up. "Come on. We have to hurry."

"I want to sleep," Miles whined. He did want to sleep. He was absolutely exhausted from running around and remembering things.

Jin stared at him like he was crazy until Miles sighed and stood up too. "Fine," he growled.

. .

"Where are we?" Susanna asked. Miles couldn't see her, it was too dark. He stumbled into a couple of empty boxes and tried to reach for the wall.

"It's a secret entrance," he said.

"I got that much," Susanna muttered and he heard her walk beside him.

"Yeah, um, I think it leads to somewhere near the sonar fence."

"How did you know it was here?"

I can hear dead people was the honest answer. That was no better than _I can see dead people. _"I'm in… I was in security."

"Was?" Susanna asked.

Miles could see a light not far away in the tunnel. But he wasn't dying so he assumed it was the exit. "Dharma sounds pretty much over to me."

"No, it's not. The outside world will see we're in trouble and –"

"And what?"

"I don't know! Do something about it!"

If Miles was right, and he really believed he was. The Hostiles had made sure the outside world would never find out anything about the island.

"I think this is the exit," Miles said as he walked up the stairs and reached the door with the Flame logo on it. He tried to push the doors open, but they were stuck.

"Let me," Susanna said and will all her force she managed to get the door open.

Outside, he heard the usual sounds of the jungle, saw the trees and a rock and the colorful flowers that grew there, and as they stepped outside. To their right, he saw the sonar fence.

. .

"There it is," Jin said excitedly.

"Brilliant, will you let me sleep now?"

"No. Here, take this gun."

Miles considered for one second to shoot Jin so he could get some sleep, but the idea was ridiculous – he would alert the attention from the guards outside the Tempest.

He knew Dan and Charlotte had in the future stopped the gas that Benjamin Linus had used to kill the Dharma – before, here in the Tempest. But that was in the future, and by the looks of it Linus wouldn't have to gas the Dharma people anymore.

"So what's the plan?" he asked in a tired voice. "Shoot the guards and then go and shout 'hey, I'm walking in here to rescue LaFleur, please don't shoot us' and die?"

"I do not understand your point. Our plan is to rescue Jim."

"Yes I got that. But seriously, how?"

Jin grinned at him. "We will be taken captured."

. .

_Honor. _

Miles was now desperate enough and accepted the canned fish from Susanna. They sat in the forest near the Barracks, they hadn't reached it yet – but they had decided to wait till the morning.

"Do, do you think Amy's okay?" Susanna asked uneasily.

Honestly. No. "Sure she is. Juliet wouldn't hurt her, no matter what side she's on."

"I have a son," Susanna suddenly said.

Miles didn't know what to respond to that. But if this got too personal – they wanted information a way to bring the Hostiles down but if Susanna had a son it would really complicate already very complicated things.

"Don't worry, I won't go and try to save him if it means killing us. I saw them kidnap him. He's not here."

"Don't you want to save him?" Miles had always pictured mothers as the types to do anything for their children, crazy things and not always rational but here Susanna was, not freaking out – too much considering the situation.

"Of course!" Susanna said scandalized. "He's my son. But what good would I do to him dead?"

That was true. They got silent and Miles tried to find a comfortable position on the ground as he tried to sleep. It was impossible and the roots kept sticking into his back.

Judging by Susanna's snoring, she wasn't having the same problem. And she was the one supposed to keep guard.

Miles sat up against the tree and kept his eyes open. But in the end, he fell asleep too.

And when he woke up, Susanna was nowhere to be seen.

"Susanna?" he carefully called out. He looked up; the sun was high on the sky. How long had he actually slept?

He rushed through the trees and then he saw the redhead sit behind a couple of bushes, spying on the Barracks. He reached up to her and she whirled around.

"Miles," she breathed.

Miles most of all wanted to yell at her for just leaving, but he settled for glaring and sitting down beside her.

They looked ordinary, like any other day in Dharmaville. He saw a couple sit outside on the porch of a house, kissing, a man hang up washed clothes on a line, wearing a Dharma jumpsuit. Two girls were playing volleyball.

Just another day in Dharmaville, except that it wasn't Dharmaville anymore, the inhabitants were Hostiles and everyone had a weapon nearby.

"Why... why are they doing this?"

"I don't know." It still didn't make sense. If they wanted them gone why didn't they just release the toxic gas in the Tempest? He guessed it had something to do with why they kidnapped some and killed others. But why?

"At least we now know for sure," Miles said as he watched the scene.

"Drop your weapons!"

Miles sighed as he felt a gun pressed against the back of his head. Not again.

. .

Miles had practically freaked out, swore at Jin and started to leave when Jin, the stupid idiot had fired his gun three times in the air and then dropped it to the ground, revealing his and Miles's hiding place in the trees to the Hostiles.

Miles had for one moment thought they were going to kill them, but one of them took one look at his nametag and gave the other Hostile a look that said, well 'look'.

Miles had never been in the Tempest, and it was big. It was located inside a mountain and as he looked down at the lower level of the station he could see computer monitors and big tanks. He saw many scruffy. looking people that had to be Hostiles walk around down there.

They brought them into what had to have been a storage room and locked the door behind them, inside he saw other people sitting lined up against the walls.

"Hey," Miles said and waved before he punched Jin in the face.

Someone yelled out and Jin backed a couple of steps, covering his nose. "Miles…"

"Why the hell did you let us be captured! If you wanted to be captured you could do it _alone!_" Miles roared at him, anger in his every word.

"It… it was the only way…"

"Miles, man?" Miles turned around and saw Horace stand up. Miles had never been happier to see the crazy hippie man. But he couldn't even smile.

"Yes it's me," Miles snapped before he looked at Jin again. "The only way huh?"

Jin blinked and glanced at the people watching them. He probably knew some of them, unlike Miles. "Yes, the only way." Jin bent down to his shoe and when he came up, he had a knife in his hand.

"A knife?" Miles whispered. "A knife against all of them?"

"It's honorable," Jin said.

"There's no honor in death you idiot."

. .

"It's your fault," Miles muttered and earned a hard push in the back from the Hostile behind him.

"My fault?" Susanna hissed. "It's not –"

"Shut up or we'll make you shut up," the girl who was behind Miles snapped.

"If you tell us where we're going sweetheart." Miles got another push in the back that made him almost fall over. The girl reminded him of that bitchy blonde Other he'd met while time travelling.

"Get into the van," she said and they both sat down in the back. The girl sat next to Miles, still pointing at him with the gun. In the driver's seat a broad shouldered guy with glasses was seated.

Susanna had her lips closed in a thin line. He was surprised about how calm she suddenly appeared, and he knew she now didn't want to show any weakness. Maybe she thought they would take them to the same place as her son – but he saw her hands tremble and knew she was still afraid, maybe she thought they were going to kill them.

But really, if they were going to why wouldn't they just do it now?

They drove into the jungle, on a regular path Miles had taken many times, but never under gunpoint. He kept looking at the trees surrounding them, not because there weren't much else to look at – but because he hoped anyone would show up, shoot the damn Hostiles and save them from whatever fate they had in store.

And then he knew, he couldn't just let this happen. Wait and find out, no, if they were going to die they were at least not going down without a fight. Miles liked to be alive, it was nicer than the other option – but he didn't want to die like a coward.

"Hey," he said and looked at the bitchy girl at his side. "There's a polar bear behind you."

"Are you trying to be fun –"

Miles hit her on the nose, grabbed the gun and fired into her stomach. Blood covered his hands as the van lurched to the side. The guy was trying to shoot them while driving.

"Run!" He didn't need to repeat it as Susanna opened the van door and jumped mindlessly out. Miles did the same and fell hard onto the gritty ground. He grimaced and hoped he wasn't pushing his luck as he sat up, the whole world spinning before his eyes and tried to shoot his gun at the van.

"Miles, are you okay?" Susanna looked like she was a bigger version of Juliet's burned muffins as she ran over to his side. The van stopped.

"Take – take the gun." Miles had dropped it somewhere but he couldn't look after it, he was coughing and the world was still rocking back and forth.

He heard a scream and a shot. And Susanna was pulling him up so it had to be the driver who was dead.

"Come on," she said. "We have to get into the van."

Miles leaned onto her and tried to take a step but it was like the ground disappeared underneath him. It wasn't getting easier by the fact that the bitchy girl –Jessica was her name and the guy – Tony were screaming inside his head. Their emotions, their thoughts making his head spin even more.

"Oh damn," he heard Susanna say and she was suddenly dragging him in another direction, into the jungle. He closed his eyes and felt a rock press into his back as Susanna laid him down on the ground. He heard the sound of wheels – another van was coming closer. Voices. They wondered what'd happened to the van, why they were dead, where the prisoners were.

"Miles," Susanna whispered, "we have to run Miles, we have to get out of here okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." He opened his eyes; it still felt like he was going to throw up but managed to stand up. "We have to run."

. .

Miles told a shortened and censored version to what'd happened to him. He wasn't sure if the Hostiles were listening onto them.

"So Amy was with you?" Horace asked. "Where is she now?"

Dead. "I don't know, I think she was kidnapped. But Horace, what happened to you?"

"They took us," a girl said from one of the corners, her dark brown eyes wide in fear. "They killed us."

"Yeah…" Miles arched his eyebrows and looked at Horace again.

"I tried to talk to them – I don't understand why they would suddenly break the truce. I don't get it at all."

"Welcome to the club," Miles muttered, he glanced at Jin who was sitting by the door.

"Have you seen LaFleur?" he asked Horace.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him." He took a deep breath. "But I saw Linus's kid, Ben, he was talking to their leader and he just… I don't want to throw around accusations, but it seemed like he was one of them."

"A lot of our people are one of them," Miles said and thought of Juliet. He still had the silver necklace in his pocket, together with the note. He didn't think she was dead. But he had no idea where she was.

"I've seen LaFleur." Miles looked up and saw a man with thick blonde hair leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. "He was looking pretty bad, I saw him when they brought me in through a glimpse in a door, and I think they were trying to cut him up or something freaky like that."

"Why do you think they were trying to cut him up?" Miles asked him.

"I saw lab coats, and a table with syringes and scalpels and –" But the man was cut off then the door opened and a man stepped in, glaring at them before he screamed when Jin stabbed him with his knife.

. .

They rested beside a creek. Susanna had a wound in her leg from jumping out of the van and she poured water on it but it was still bleeding. Miles stared at it, his thoughts elsewhere.

"What are we going to do?" he finally asked.

Susanna looked at him, surprised. "I…. uh, why are you asking me?"

"My plans suck," Miles said simply. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I…" Susanna got a curious look in her eyes, but whatever plan she had come up with had to wait as a bullet flew into the water and Miles saw a figure in the jungle. He didn't even shout 'run'. They darted over the creek; the water didn't even slow them down. All they had in their minds was survival, if they got caught this time they would be killed immediately.

"Miles!" Susanna yelled and Miles avoided a bullet by an inch. He ran the fastest he could; adrenaline pumping and the world going blurry. Sweat trickled over his skin and blood tasting in his mouth.

He screamed. But it was too late. He fell over the slippery rocks by the slope. He heard Susanna scream something. He tried to stop the fall, his hands reaching out to catch anything. Three shots rang out and he reached the ground. He groaned in pain before the world blackened and he saw no more.

When he woke up. Susanna was dead. And he didn't remember how he got there.

. .

They were too many. Too many weapons. Too many people. Too much pride. Too much power.

Miles was thrown on the ground, he bit his tongue and blood filled his mouth. He spat out the blood and tried to get up, but the man was holding him down. A gun once again pressing into his skull.

"Bye, bye," the man said and chuckled darkly.

A shot was heard and Miles pushed the man away. He was clearly dead. He didn't need to look at him to confirm it. The man's last disgusting thoughts were already etched inside his mind.

"Bye to you too," Miles said and looked at Jin thankfully.

The Dharma people, humanitarians, the bringers of flowers and music and 'save the world' banderols were surprisingly good killers.

He saw a girl, who had to be in her late teens push a guy over the reeling down onto the level below. He crashed into one of the computer's and he saw the girl raised her hands in the air in victory.

"This is the stupidest thing we've ever done!" Miles said to Jin as they ran between the fighting people, tying to avoid bullets and punches. "We should just get the hell away from here!"

"We have to save James!" Jin shouted.

"But where the hell is he?"

The answer was given by the blonde. haired guy who kept waving and pointing at a door until he fell, dead to the ground by a shot in his forehead.

Miles stopped. Panicked in his mind for eight seconds and then ran past his body and opened the door, Jin followed him into the room.

The room was dark and Jin pulled the light switch, revealing a bunch of boxes by the walls and a table in the middle of the room, by its side was a bed and in it was –"

"James!" Jin exclaimed and rushed over to the man's side. Jim had his eyes closed but he was shivering slightly, his face was glimmering with sweat and Miles saw a bandage around his leg. Probably where he had been shot.

Miles knew there was not even the slightest chance that they would escape if they brought Jim with them. It was chaos outside and he doubted that if they left him he and Jin would come out alive even then.

But it was Jim.

And Miles knew, even though he didn't like it, that Jim would try his best to save them if he could.

"Damn it," Miles said and helped Jin pull Jim's arms around them. Dragging him up to his legs.

"J. Jin?"

"I'm here," Jin said. Jim still had his eyes closed but he managed to get some weight of them now when he was awake. A smile played on his lips, he was grateful, but then the smile disappeared.

"Ju. Juliet…"

"I know," Miles said quickly. "But we have a lot of catching up to do later in the afterlife. Come on!"

The door suddenly flew open again, and in the entrance Horace stood. Red stains covered his jumpsuit but he looked unharmed.

"The gas!" he shouted. "They're releasing the gas!"

Miles's eyes widened but Jin looked confused. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to escape.

"We have to find masks…" Miles let go of Jim and rushed to the boxes, most of them were empty, some had gloves and other unnecessary items in them, but he needed… There. There it was.

"What gas?"

"It's toxic, deadly," Miles said and turned around. Horace was gone; he'd probably left to find a gas mask for himself. "They probably think it's the only way."

Suddenly he started to cough and he knew it was beginning, the end. Jin let go of Jim and knelt on the floor, coughing violently too.

Miles looked at the gas mask. His hands were shaking violently and he crawled over by the table, to where Jin and Jim were. Jin had started to bleed out of his nose, shaking in spasms on the ground. Miles coughed even more, and soon he wouldn't be able to see clearly.

Miles pulled the gas mask over Jim's head.

Now he would find out if there was an afterlife after all.

. .

**Author's Notes Part Two:** By the way, if given the chance – I think Miles would be an awesome hero.


End file.
